The aromatic substance diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) is employed for aromatization of foodstuffs and/or compositions for consumption for pleasure which have a high fat content and taste of butter, such as e.g. margarines, formulations for the preparation of popcorn, sweet and salty baked goods. In this context, some or the total amount of the butter in the abovementioned formulations can be replaced by fats or oils which are cheaper and/or more favourable from the point of view of nutrition physiology, without influencing the desired butter flavour. Nevertheless, diacetyl is highly volatile and can therefore readily evaporate, especially in formulation processes which are accompanied by the action of heat, and can thus adversely influence the aroma of the finished product.
EP 0 293,957-A2 has proposed the use of precursor molecules of diacetyl, namely a diacetyl dimer of the formula
or an oligomerization product of diacetyl of the formula

The molecules described there are destroyed by the action of heat and by spontaneous decomposition and thereby release diacetyl as an aromatic substance. A flavour impression of diacetyl dimer which differs from diacetyl is not described. A disadvantage of the use of a diacetyl dimer which remains is that diacetyl is formed directly as the sole constituent having an aromatizing action, with all its fundamental disadvantages of formulation.
During the reduction of the fat and/or oil content in foodstuffs, which is desirable from the point of view of nutrition physiology, the typical pleasantly creamy, fatty sensation in the mouth is lost. This sensation in the mouth cannot be compensated by aromatization with diacetyl or its precursor diacetyl dimer.